Formula 1
“Sparring partners” team boss set-up a strength for AlphaTauri
AlphaTauri Formula 1 team CEO Peter Bayer says that he and new team principal Laurent Mekies will help to drive the team forward as “sparring partners”.
Adam Cooper Filip Cleeren
Edited: Jan 6, 2024, 3:01 AM
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Bayer and Mekies, who officially started his new job this week after serving out his Ferrari gardening leave, have combined to replace departed team boss Franz Tost.
Tost left his role at the end of last month after 18 years in charge of the Faenza outfit, which is set to announce a new identity in the coming weeks.
Bayer stressed that Mekies' experience would be invaluable – especially in the context of its rebranding – when asked what the Frenchman would bring to the team: “A lot, obviously, because he's been sitting on the pit wall of Ferrari for a long time. But he's also come in with a very good network, he knows a lot of good people.
“We have plenty of top talent joining us, because they're excited about the new opportunity arising, about a new team coming, a new identity coming.
“Luckily, we've been successful in the recent weeks and months, it really helps, it's changing the dynamics of people to sign an agreement.
“That will be his strength, and his daily focus is running the trackside operation of the team as a team principal.”
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Peter Bayer, CEO of Scuderia AlphaTauri
Bayer said that the two-man leadership arrangement will be a positive as their respective strengths pay dividends.
“We'll be sparring partners for each other, and we’ll be challenging each other, we'll be working together, supporting each other,” he added.
“And I think that in today's complexity of F1, it's a strength actually to have a four-eyed principal with two people with different backgrounds.
“Yes, you can be Christian Horner or Franz Tost, and do this job for 20-odd years, and know everything, and have around them a very strong team of people.
“But for us, I think it's the ideal setup. Because you have sporting, technical already. Financial is something that we'll be focusing on both, because I believe you can gain a lot there by understanding those rules in the best possible way.
“And I think both of us have a very good understanding of the financial regulations, and the original intent and where we are today, and where they might go.
“And it's very simple: you find two million, you have a big upgrade. And we have an advantage as a team, because we're extremely efficient. How we are structured, what Franz has built, is quite amazing in terms of output – and at the same time, the efficiency [in the way] we can produce an output.
“I think that's where we'll be working together closely. I have a strong interest in technical topics, I always had actually, as Laurent has a strong interest in commercial stuff. So we run things by each other. But then again, we both go off into our respective areas.”
Photo by: Michael Potts / Motorsport Images
Laurent Mekies, Racing Director, Scuderia Ferrari
Meanwhile Mekies signalled his official arrival at Faenza by posting a message on LinkedIn, in which he acknowledged his previous employer.
"As my chapter in red closes, it is the moment to thank everyone at Scuderia Ferrari for five unforgettable years,” he wrote.
“We went through lows and highs together, we fought every day, and we gave it everything we could. My head and my heart are filled with incredible memories, which I will cherish for life.
“A new adventure starts now, and it is with a great sense of gratefulness that I go from a very special racing family to another very special racing family.
“We are embarking into an exciting journey, a new chapter for us to write all together, and I can’t wait to work alongside the talented people in Faenza and in Bicester."
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